English Language Learners

“Learning a new language is a lot like learning to play an unfamiliar sport or musical instrument. Time, practice, making and learning from one’s errors, and a keen desire to succeed, are all part of becoming proficient in an additional language.” Supporting English Language Learners pg. 49 
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/esleldprograms/guide.pdf

Three Ways to Help English Language Learners

1. The teacher’s role. Once again differentiation and adaption is very important here. Teachers need to modify some or all of the subject expectations, use a variety of strategies (I find visual cues, bilingual dictionaries, matching new words to pictures, songs, role play, rhymes, group work, having a stronger student sit next to a lower ability student, and use of the first language work well) and make assessment accommodations (granting of extra time, oral interviews, demonstrations or visual representations). I found especially in assessments or everyday tasks when the instructions were heavy in English, it was easier to have students show me what they could as opposed to have them muddle through, get frustrated and then give up.

2. The student’s role. Understanding that each student enters the classroom with a lot of experiences and knowledge is very important! They may be better traveled than you, have gone through war and displacement, or have been through a world disaster and lost their home or friends/family (tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.) It’s important to get to know your students and their families. Every year at the beginning I like to have a family morning, where I invite children and their families to have tea and bring in some food of their culture. Not only does it help me get to know them and make them feel included and safe, it allows parents to connect with other parents in the class and make a support group.

3. The role of the class. Teach and discuss with your students how to respect students of different cultures and celebrate diversity. Remember: The students in your class can be a big help in aiding English Language Learners!

- Explain to all students at the beginning of the year that your classroom is a language classroom as well as a place for learning the curriculum.

- Suggest ways students can help English language learners, and model these forms of assistance in your own interactions with newcomers.

- Communicate positive attitudes about language learning. Point out students, teachers, other staff members, and graduates who have succeeded in learning English, and hold them up to students as role models. Reinforce the benefits of being able to speak more than one language.

- Communicate positive attitudes towards newcomers and their cultures. Help all students understand the benefits of diversity and of broadening their horizons through learning about other parts of the world.  

- Assign buddies, mentors, and peers to support and encourage class participation.

-Seat students where they can hear and see well, and near classmates who will provide support and   language modelling.

Many Roots, Many Voices. Pg. 21 http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/manyroots/

What else can teachers do?

• modify some or all of the subject expectations so that they are challenging but attainable 
• use a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, scaffolding; previewing of textbooks, pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring); 
• Use student's first language
• Use a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and materials that reflect cultural diversity); 
• Create assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time, oral interviews, demonstrations or visual representations, tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers or cloze sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).

Make your classroom inviting and welcoming!

-Provide key visuals to support themes, and to help bring language to life (e.g., from magazines, newspapers, posters, flyers, the Internet).

- Label the objects in the classroom environment in English and in the students’ first languages.

- Post timetables where students can refer to them.

-Create a word wall (with first language translations) with pictures to introduce and reinforce unit-specific vocabulary, and teach students how to use it as a tool to increase understanding

Finally...Positive Reinforcement goes a 

long way!